Dowel supporting assembly



1949- w. s. sonwm DOWEL SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 10, 1944 MLL/A S. Czfoowllv 1949- w. s. GODWIN DQWEL SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY 5 SheetsSheet 2 Filed June 10, 1944 4-3 Elma/14km Jan. 25, 1949 W. S. GODWIN DOWEL SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY Filed June 10, 1 944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 25, 1949 UNITED STATES PA-TENT OFFICE DOWELSUPPORTING-A'S SEMBLY William S. Godwin, .Ball;imore,-- Md. :Application June 10, 1944; Serial'No; 539,6 79

-Claims.

1 The invention relates to the assembling and holding intheassembled' relation of the. dowel units for --concrete road-joints" and: to the supporting of said dowels or, units IlIl' their proper position prior to-andduring the pouring of the P concrete.

Advantages and accomplishments of theinvention include the provision-"oi a .mainsupporting plate extending'along-ther joint the'same being of hollowcross-sectionsubstantially throughout plates anchored to 'the sub-grade and supporting the main plate to preventaccidental movement of the dowels-and-socketsprior to and during the pouring of "the concrete; the ends of the main plate preferably'resting on' said base plates on the sub-grade, or on suitablefuprights which in turn rest on the base plates; supporting the'main plate below the road surface.

A stillfurther advantage is that the assembly is entirely below" the tops "of the side' frames,

free of the side frames and above the sub-grade, and" thus independent :of the "irregularities of the sub-grade surface whiclrmay be soft or hard with contours, the dowelw-supporting; assembly of the invention-resting on; the; positive. hard level surfaces-of base-supports orfplates provided for this purpose"andrparticularly where side-forms are-used easily removable whenzpouring is completed.

A further and'highly'important. advantage of the invention-ls that all moving parts are enclosed within'vthe' hollow or U-shaped, support referred to as the main or. cover-plate, and, not exposed to; the concrete.

'Thepinvention is illustrated in what atpresent is regarded as'thepreferred and a modified form, these forms being,-however, for example only as showing two' of various contemplated applications of the'invention.

In the drawings Figql' isa side=elevationron a' reduced scale of the dowel assembly inidowel-supporting position ready for the, pouring of; the concrete in the vicinity ofa-slngle--road* -Joint.

'-Fig. i 2 {is a, section on the line "2-2 "in Fig. 3 looking in" the'direction"ofythe" arrows, .the'plane of the figure-being parallel tothe plane of Fig: 1,

2 the. structure shown being a single dowel-hook with the dowel engaged thereby and the-supporting and actuating. parts shown fragmentarily.

"Fig. 3 is a'sectionon line 3-3 in Eig."2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal se'ction'looking-downwardly from -the line dl-in Fig; 2.

Fig? 5'is a section'corresponding to Fig. Ztaken at; the endof the assembly adjacent to the side formor other paving.

Fig; 6. is a section on the line 6-6 -in--Fig.*5 lookingin the direction of the arrows.

Fig. '7 -'is-a top-plan'view looking downwardly .at the assembly "shown in the Fig. 1.

Fig.28ls a view partlyinsection and partly'in elevation looking in the direction 'of thearrows from the-line'-8-*-8 in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a sectionalelevation looking to the left from the line 9-9 in theFigfiS.

-Fig."l0'is a section corresponding to Fig. 2 showing a modified form of dowelsupporting hook.

Fig511-is a sectional elevation looking to the left from the line 1 I-M l--in the-Fig. 10.

Fig. 12' is a horizontal section looking downwardly from the planeindicated by theline I2-l2-in= Eig. l0.

Fig. 13-isa fragmentary verticalsection showing a single socket and dowel -in'= assembled relation inthe concrete after' the removal of the supporting 7/ assembly and the formation of the joint slot in the concrete.

Referring to the drawings bynumerals each of whichis used to indicate these-me or similar parts in the diiferentfigures andhaving particular reference to the forms illustrated-in Figs. 1 to 9, the construction-shown comprisesa main support H3 or coverrplate which in the preferred form shown is'of inverted U-shapedcross-section. 'In slabs of ordinarywidth this extends from side to side, being supported 'atitsends preferably in a manner to be hereinafter-described, or in wider roads there may be two or even threeunitlengths of-the assembly, theadjacent ends of the members- 143- being supported intermediately on suitablebases on-the sub-grade.

In the form shown the dowel supports, *or

dowel-supporting hooks l I extend downwardly dowel, may have a depending shank or stem l5 which as shown is substantially vertical and may be tapered in horizontal section as at H in Fig. 4. shank has at its lower end a transverse point or nook proper l 6, shown as having a downwardly inclined upper surface II which engages beneath the dowel or dowel bar shown at It, the end surface being shown as upwardly and forwardly inclined at I8. I

The hooks H in-the preferred form shown have at the top atransverse or horizontally extending head portion 19 which as shown extends oppositely to the hook or points !6 in which head the slot I4 is formed. Thistransverse portion or head l9 which may be variously located in relation to the shank H, is provided with spaced vertically extending lugs 29, 2| which are apertured in horizontal alignment at 22, and through these openings there is passed in a horizontal direction a hook-actuating rod 24. This may extend the length-of the assembly having actuating members at its ends to be described, or it may be'in two parts with actuating means at the center, as illustrated in Fig. 1, or be otherwise suitably arranged.

Between the lugs 2| and 22 there is in the form shown in the figures designated, an abutment collar 26 at the right and adjacent the latter, said collar 26 being mounted on and suitably secured to the rod 24. Between this collar 2% and the left-hand lug 20 in Fig. l, which is on the side toward which the hook member or point I6 is disposed, there is shown a helical compression spring 21 which encloses the rod 24 hearing at one end against the collar 26 and at its other end against the left-hand lug 20, which as aforesaid is toward the direction of the point or hook member [6.

In the form shown in Fig. 1 the rod 24 is in two sections separated at the center and connected for simultaneous operation by a centrally pivoted lever 29 which is mounted on and within the main supporting plate H) by means of a pivot pin extending from side to side of the same, in the manner of pins l2. The upper arm of this lever 29 is connected at its swinging end by a connecting rod 39 to the left-hand rod 24 and its opposite end is connected by oonnecting rod 3| to the rod section 24' at the right in Fig. 1. In this form of assembly it will be noted that the points of the hooks I! at the left are disposed to the left and the points of the hooks at the right, indicated by reference characters H, are disposed to the right, i. e. in the direction in which their respective points are advanced'when lever 29 is rotated counter-clockwise, various arrangements whereby the hooks may be simultaneously engaged by movement of rod or rods 24, 24' being contemplated.

In this connection there is shown in Fig. 1 a leaf-spring 32 to engage the upper end of the lever 29 to restrain backward rotation from said engaged positions of the hooks. This or a similar device may be employed to hold the parts in normally engaged relation. Springs 21 equalize the pressure of the hooks ill on dowels iii.

In the form shown the rod 24, 24' is provided at its ends which are normally adjacent the sideeforms 33 with one or two operating heads 34 and 34'. In the form shown these heads are threaded on to the ends of the rod or rods 26, 24' of otherwise suitably secured. The heads 3 34' are shown as slotted at 35 in the direction of the length of the rod 24, and they are also shown as provided with depending lugs 36 at their tax- 4 treme outer ends. An operating tool which is considered suitable to the purpose in hand is shown in Fig. 5 indicated by reference character 31.

Fig. 4 shows fragmentarily in plan a dowel l8 and socket 38 which may be in any suitable form. In the form shown the dowel is provided with a transverse flange 39 which may be secured thereto by means of a tongue 40 cut from the flange plate 39 and bent outwardly and welded to the dowel 18 as shown, andthe socket member 38 is shown as secured to the flange plate 4| in a slim ilar manner, the precise form of dowel and socket being immaterial. The hook H is also shown with its shank l5 of a reducing taper in a horizontal plane and toward the dowel bar l8 so that it tends to have a wedging engagement between flange plates 39 and 4|, and press these flanges outwardly against the legs of the U-shaped member ill with a clamping action, Fig. 4.

The legs or sides of the U-shaped plate It are also shown in horizontal section in Fig. 4 at 4?. and 43. These legs may be referred to as shields protecting the hooks and operatingmeans from the concrete. This plate is shown in fragmentary vertical cross-section in Fig. 6, with one operating head 34 in elevation and the depending legs 42 and 43 in section. This figure also shows a pin extending through the slot 35 in the operating head-34. The pin maybe secured at its ends in the legs 42, 43 of the plate 10. Also the U-shaped plate 10 is shown as slotted as to the top cross-arm 43' of the inverted U It at the extreme ends of said plate ill, the slots in the form of plate shown, extending from the ends inwardly in the direction of the length of the actuating rod 24, the slots being indicated by reference character 45.

In the form shown the main cover-plate 10, which may be of any suitable cross-section to protect the individual dowel supports and the operating means therefor from the fluid concrete, is supportedat its ends on base-plates 46 shown as having depending flanges 47 which extend downwardly into the sub-grade indicated at 48.

In the form shown, the details being for example only, the main or cover-plate I0 is provided at each end with a supporting device shown in the form of supporting-plates 50 which may be secured, at their edges adjacent the horizon tal top edges of the. main or cover-plate I 0, the secured edges extending for several inchesalong the supporting-plate H to its outer ends where the plates 50 areturned downwardly at right angles forming depending legs 5| as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and also in Fig. 9, the vertical extent of the legs and the main plates l 0 attached or assembled and measured from the top surfaces of base-plates 46 to the top of the plate i0, being less than. the vertical extent of the side-forms 33.

These legs 5| are shownas reinforced at their lateral side edges with andby, substantially vertical membersshown as angle-irons 52 which extend. downwardly, along the supporting legs 5i and below the same at each side of the base-plates as best shown in Figs. 8. and 9. .The lower edges of legs 5! rest on top of base-plates 46 which are between the ends of bars 52, Fig. 7, reasonable variations as to details and arrangement being contemplated.

The plates 10 are shown'as slotted upwardly from their lower edges-forming dowel-slots, a socket like the one shown in-Fig. 4 being illustrated as protrudingfromsaid slot 54 in Fig. 8. These slotsare spaced in correspondence with the desired spacing of the dowels and there is one hook H for each slot. The hooks in the preferred operation tend to press the dowels against the edges 54' of slots 54 whereby the dowels are spaced and positioned.

In Fig. '7 there is shown a section of relatively wide pavement, the width being greater than the length of the main or cover-plate Hi. In this instance a base-plate 46 is placed beneath the adjacent ends of the two-cover plates ill and the supporting members 50, 5|, 52 rest thereon near the center of the plate substantially in the manher and relation thereto in which they are shown in Figs. 8 and 9. It may be noted at this point that the plates 46 are formed with a hole 56, as in Fig. 7, to be engaged with a hook-like instrument in removing the plates after the pouring of the concrete.

In assembling the dowels and sockets and support, the main plate or cover-plate i is inverted, the rod 2 5 being forced to the right in any suitable manner as by rapping on the lugs 36. If a second rod as 24' be provided, it is moved to the left in Fig. l.

The dowel and socket units [8 and 38 are then assembled and pushed downwardly into the slots 54 which in that position of the plates to are open upwardly. As soon as all of the dowel and socket units are in place, thehooks H are engaged as by rotating the lever 29 contra-clockwise or lefthanded and/or rapping the lugs 36, see Fig. 5, with a hammer, to the right in Fig. 5, the opposite lug being moved to the left as seen in Fig. l, the parts being latched in the dowel-engaging position by the action of leaf-spring 32, or the hooks may be held in dowel-supporting position by the springs at all times except when the tool 31 is in position. If a single rod 24 be employed, the hooks being disposed in a, single direction, the operation will be apparent from the foregoing, or

the dowels may be forced into slots 54 thus en-' gaging inclined surfaces l8 and moving the hooks to withdrawn position, whereon the dowels pass the hooks and the springs cause the engagement of the latter with the dowels. When the dowelsupporting assembly is thus completed, all of the working parts, whereby the dowels are engaged and disengaged, are enclosed within the U-shaped member [0 or cover-plate and thus protected from accumulation of concrete and other detrimental occurrences resulting from exposure.

The dowel-supporting assembly thus completed, is ready to be set up in the roadway as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 7 to 9. For this purpose a base-plate 45 suitably leveled is either pushed under the side-form 33 as shown in Fig. 1 or under the finished paving 58 as shown inFigs. 7 and 8. The depending flanges 41 of plates 46 extend downwardly into the sub-grade holding the base plates and preventing lateral displacement of the assembly.

The main supporting, or cover-plate 10, when thus assembled with the dowels and sockets, if used, said plate is placed in position at right angles to the direction of the road, with the legs 5| preferably resting on the plates 46 and the angles 52 extending downwardly at each side of the base-plates d6. The'laterally elongated bottom edge 5! of leg plate 5| resting on' base plate rill: prevents tipping of the dowel-supporting as-* 6 and out of the way of the finishing machine, the members 46 to 52 being of suitable length.

Immediately thereafter the concrete may be poured and as soon as the leveling machine has been run over the work, the supporting assembly may be removed. In this connection it will be understood that the finished surface of the road is normally in the plane of the top surfaces of the side forms 33, which according to the preferred operation and arrangement of applicants device, is aboveithe top of cover-plate i8, supported in the manner described.

To this end a suitable tool, a satisfactory form of which is shown at 37' in Fig. 5, is inserted through the slots 45, the operating heads'34 being forced inwardly or to the right in Fig. 5, whereby the tension of springs 2'! is relaxed and the collars 26 are brought in contact with the lugs 2! releasing the hooks H which are moved to the right in Fig. 2 or to the right and left respectively in Fig. 1, from the dowel. The operation described whereby the actuating head 34 is moved to the rightin Fig. 5 and/or 34' to the left, tends to rotate the lever 29 in a clockwise direction with a corresponding motion of the rods 24, 24 in Fig. 1 and releasing the hooks ii and Ii. This arrangement is not essential to other features.

It is of importance, as already pointed out, that all the moving parts are protected by and enclosed within the cover-plate or main plate I 0 which, when the support is thus released, is raised most easily by engagement of the tool 31 in the slot t5 and immediately thereafter the concrete, due to its tendency to flow, closes the opening left by said plate ill, in place of which a slot like that shown at 59 in Fig. 13 is generally made by means of a suitable tool.

It is of importance that the dowels and sockets are not only supported on plate H! but are spaced and positioned by slots 54 therein and that coverplate or dowel-holder ill may be entirely below the tops of the side forms out of the way of the finishing machine and above the sub-grade, and that all of the dowel-holders or latches may be moved in unison, and particularly that the mainplate or cover-plate is supported not only on the sub-grade but on suitable, preferably, removable base-plates which can to advantage be suitably leveled, with regard to the road surface and without reference to the condition of the sub-grade. These base-plates anchored in the manner shown prevent lateral movement of the dowel-holders. They may be otherwise located.

It is also of interest that the engagement of the wedge-shaped shanks l5 with the flanges 39, 4! has a locking effect which may assist or be independent of the spring 32 and may be employed to prevent premature release of the hooks H, and that as shown in Fig. 8, the operation of the hooks I l and the springs 21 force the dowel members i8 against the sides 54' of the slots 54 which are forward in the direction in which the hook points It are disposed. These sides or edges 54' may be relied on to space the dowels according to a predetermined standard.

Referring now to Figs. 10, 11 and 12, these figures disclose a second form of dowel-hook which may be treated as embodying various features of the invention,

- This hook indicated by reference character 6i! is in the form referred to pivoted intermediately to swing about a transverse stud or pin 6| which extends through the cover-plate from side to side, being suitably secured in or to the side-pIa'tes I-Z and/or 43 thereof, the said hook member being QABO, 172

between said plates. The hook member 60 is shown in the form of two arms radiating from the pin 6|, one, 62, disposed upwardly and the other. 63, downwardly and to the left in Fig. 10, half of the said arms E53 being, according to the illustration in Fig. l, oppositely inclined.

The upper arms 82 are shown as having doubleforks 64 at their upper ends which receive and enclose the hook-actuating rod 24, which in the form shown is provided with transverse pins 65 suitably secured thereto to engage said hooks 64, which in the form shown, straddle or embrace both the rod 24 and the pin 65.

The lower arms 53 are shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 as provided at their swinging ends with hook members, or points 68 and the side plates have abutments 66, which are adapted to engage the bottom and side surfaces of the dowel members 18, when a suitable tendency is imparted to said arms 63 to swing upwardly or laterally, against the lower side of the dowel.

In the form shown the arms 63 have seated therein, or otherwise suitably secured, a spring 61 which in the form shown is of inverted U shape, the forward arm of the U at 61 serving to press against the adjacent side of the dowel l8 when the arm 63 is swung up to the engaging position of hook member 56, whereby a yielding effect is obtained, to equalize the hook action.

In both forms of the invention, the rod 24 may be operated from either end in a single direction or from either end or the center in both directions as suggested and illustrated in Fig. 1 and other figures.

In operation the main-supporting plate, or cover-plate I is first inverted as previously described, and the assembled socket and dowel units are moved downwardly into the corresponding notches 54 and at this time the hooks 60 are moved as by action of the rod or rods '24. or by yielding so that the dowels are easily admitted. Immediately thereafter all of the hooks simultaneously or separately engage with the dowels and the dowels being thus engaged and held in position, the assembly is returned to upright and located in the work, i. e. on the sub-grade and in line with the proposed joint, the concrete is poured and the entire assembly is removed substantially as described in connection with Fig. 1, etc.

Having thus described a preferred and modified form of dowel-supporting structure as examples of the nature and method of practice or application of the invention, I would have it understood that various modifications and changes of form and arrangement, such as would occur to a designer or engineer familiar with this disclosure, are contemplated.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dowel-supporting assembly for concrete road joints comprising an elongated hollow main plate, dowel spacing means for a plurality of dowels spaced along said plate, dowel supporting members, means mounting said members within said main plate adjacent said spacing means for movement between two positions, each of said members in one position holding a dowel within one of said spacing means and in the other position releasing the dowel therefrom, a common operatingmeans enclosed within the main plate and extending longitudinally thereof, and means operatively connecting said operating means to plurality of said members.

2. In a device as claimed in claim 1, spring iii) 8 means urging said members toward dowel holding position, said members having inclined surfaces engageable by a dowel during insertion into said spacing means to move the members away from dowel engaging position.

3. In a device as claimed in claim 1, spring means urging said members toward dowel holding position, said members having wedges engageable between flanges on dowel assembly, whereby to center a dowel assembly engaged thereby.

4. A dowel supporting assembly for concrete road joints comprising an inverted channelshaped member having side walls having slots extending upwardly from the bottom edges thereofat points spaced longitudinally thereof to receive dowels, dowel supporting members, and means mounting said supporting members within the channel of said channel-shaped member at points above the upper ends of said slots for movement between positions in which the supporting members hold dowels in the slots and positions in which they release dowels therefrom.

5. A dowel supporting assembly for concrete road joints comprising an inverted channelshaped member having side walls having slots extending upwardly from the bottom edges there of at points spaced longitudinally thereof to receive dowels, dowel supporting members, means mounting said supporting members within the channel of said channel-shaped member for movement between positions in which the supporting members hold dowel members in the slots and positions in which they release dowels therefrom, a common operating means for said supporting members within the channel of said channel-shaped member above the upper ends of said slots, and means operatively connecting said operating means to said supporting members.

6. A dowel supporting assembly for concrete road joints comprising an inverted channelshaped member having side walls having slots extending upwardly from the bottom edges thereof at points spaced longitudinally thereof to receive dowels, dowel supporting members, means mounting said supporting members within the channel of said channel-shaped member at points above the upper ends of said slots for movement between positions in which the supporting members hold dowel members in the slots and positions in which they release dowels therefrom, a common operating means for said supporting members within the channel of said channel-shaped member, and means operatively connecting said operating means to said supporting members.

7. A dowel supporting assembly for concrete road joints comprising an inverted channelshaped member having side walls having slots extending upwardly from the bottom edges thereof at points spaced longitudinally thereof to receive dowels, dowel supporting members, and means mounting said supporting members within the channel of said channel-shaped member spaced inwardly from the side walls thereof for movement, between positions in which the supporting members holddowels in the slots and positions in which they release dowels therefrom, said supporting members being engageable between flanges on a dowel assembly to hold said flanges against the side walls whereby to close said slots.

8. A dowel supporting assembly for concrete road joints comprising an inverted channelshaped rigid member having substantially plane sidewallshaving slots extending upwardly from bottomedges thereof at points spaced longithereof to receive dowels, means for supporting said assembly spaced above a sub-grade, dowel supporting members, and means above the upper ends of said slots mounting said supporting members within the channel of said rigid member spaced inwardly from the side walls thereof for movement between positions in which the supporting members hold dowels in the slots andpositions in which they release dowels therefrom, said supporting members being engageable between flanges on a dowel assembly to hold said flanges against the side walls whereby to close said slots.

9. A dowel supporting assembly and dowel structure for concrete road joints comprising an inverted channel-shaped rigid member having substantially plane side walls having slots extending upwardly from the bottom edges thereof to points spaced longitudinally thereof to receive dowels, dowel structures each comprising a pair of members adapted to be embedded in opposite sides of a road joint and slidably mounted with respect to one another, said members having flanges thereon adjacent the points which lie in the adjacent faces of the joint, dowel structure supporting members, means mounting said supporting members within the channel of said rigid member spaced inwardly from the side walls thereof for movement between positions in which the supporting members hold dowel structures in the slots and positions in which they release dowel structures therefrom, said supporting members being engageable between said flanges to hold said flanges against the side walls whereby to close said slots.

10. In a device as claimed in claim '1, said supporting members having parts wedge shaped in cross-section engageable with said flanges to position the dowel laterally with respect to said rigid member.

11. In a device as claimed in claim 9, said supporting members having parts wedge shaped in cross-section engageable with said flanges to position the dowel structure laterally with respect to said rigid member.

12. A dowel supporting assembly for concrete road joints comprising an inverted channelshaped member having side walls having slots extending upwardly from the bottom edges thereof at points spaced longitudinally thereof to receive dowels, dowel supporting members, means mountin said supporting members within the channel of said channel-shaped member for movement between positions in which the supporting members hold dowel members in the slots and positions in which they release dowels therefrom, the supporting members in opposite halves of said channel-shaped member moving in opposite directions to holding and releasing positions respectively, a common operating means for said supporting members, means mounting said operating means within the channel of said channel-shaped member for movement longitudinally therein, and means operatively connecting said operating means to said supporting members.

13. In a dowel supporting assembly for road joints having a slot in the bottom edge to receive a dowel, a dowel supporting member, means mounting said member adjacent said slot for movement with respect thereto, said member having a part engageable beneath a dowel structure within said slot and a stem connectin said part to said mounting means, said stem being wedge shaped in cross-section to engage between flanges on a dowel structure held in said slot,

14. In a dowel supporting assembly for concrete road joints, a dowel supporting member, means mounting the supporting member in said assembly for movement between dowel holding and dowel releasing positions, means on the dowel supporting member engageable with a dowel to shift the same laterally of the assembly for centering, and resilient means urging the supporting member into dowel engaging and holding position.

15. A dowel supporting assembly for concrete road joints comprising an inverted channelshaped member having side walls having slots extending upwardly from the bottom edges thereof at points spaced longitudinally thereof to receive dowels, dowel supporting members, and means mounting said dowel supporting members within the channel of said channelshaped member for movement between positions in which the supporting members hold dowels therefrom, said supporting members having parts wedge shapgd in cross-section engageable with a dowel to space the same laterally with respect to said member.

WILLIAM S. GODWIN. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,700,889 Heltzel Feb. 5, 1929 2,053,900 Edge Sept. 8, 1936 2,125,194 Nelson July 26, 1938 2,142,294 Westland Jan. 3, 1939 2,175,240 Arthur Oct. 10, 1939 2,224,194 Mitchell Dec. 10, 1940 2,282,335 Methven May 12, 1942 2,295,947 Heltzel Sept. 15, 1942 

